Senior Member of Technical Staff: Mechanical Engineering — Actuation

Location: Cambridge, MA

Department: Robot Hardware

Position Summary:

We are hiring a Senior Mechanical Engineer to design, build, and ship high performance actuators for our humanoid robot. In this role, you will own the design of actuator mechanical components and subassemblies—gear trains, housings, bearing systems, output structures and electronics integration. You will work closely with controls, electrical, firmware, and manufacturing teams to translate performance requirements into robust hardware and to mature prototypes into reliable, high-volume production designs. This role is ideal for an engineer who thrives owning a design end to end, from first-principles analysis through hands-on bring-up, characterization, and production handoff.

Core Responsibilities:

• Design and deliver actuator mechanical subsystems, including gear trains and transmissions, housings, bearing arrangements, shafting, output interfaces, and integrated sensor and motor packaging.
• Drive component sizing and validation through first-principles analysis and FEA—tolerance stack-ups, structural and fatigue analysis, stiffness, backlash, and thermal paths.
• Own designs from concept through DFM/DFA, prototype builds, and production release, partnering with external manufacturers and suppliers to ensure high quality parts and assembly.
• Partner cross-functionally with controls, electrical, and firmware teams to define actuator requirements and integrate actuators into the broader robot platform.
• Lead design reviews and hardware bring-up; plan and execute bench and dynamometer testing to characterize performance and root-cause failures.
• Establish design standards and best practices for actuator development, and mentor engineers across the team.

Required Qualifications:

• 5+ years of experience delivering precision electromechanical or actuator products from concept through production (or MS + 3 years).
• Deep expertise in actuator and drivetrain design, including gear trains (planetary, harmonic, and/or cycloidal), bearing selection and preload, shaft and housing design, and management of backlash and stiffness.
• Strong proficiency with 3D CAD (SolidWorks, CATIA, or NX) and rigorous application of GD&T and tolerance analysis.
• Demonstrated analytical ability using both hand calculations and FEA for structural, fatigue, and thermal design decisions.
• Hands-on experience building, instrumenting, and testing hardware, including dynamometer or bench characterization and systematic troubleshooting.
• Strong communication, ownership, and a collaborative, cross-functional approach to development.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Direct experience with robotic systems, preferably humanoid and/or manipulation robots.
• Experience designing high-torque-density actuators with frameless/BLDC motor integration.
• Experience with custom gearbox design (planetary and harmonic or cycloidal drives), experience with gear analysis tools such as KISSsoft or similar software and high-volume manufacturing of precision mechanical components.

Walden Robotics offers a competitive total compensation program, including salary, annual cash bonus, company equity, company-subsidized insurance programs, 401(k) with company match, flexible PTO, daily lunch, and other benefits. The pay ranges noted on our posts are for salary only.

Walden Robotics is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran status, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws, regulations, and ordinances. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or the recruiting process, please send a request to hello@waldenrobotics.com.

Walden Robotics participates in E-Verify. If you receive an offer of employment from Walden, you will need to go through the E-Verify process of digital verification of your employment authorization documents as provided on the Form I-9. Participation in E-Verify does not limit your right to work and verification will only be completed after you become

About the Company

At Walden Robotics, we envision a world where general-purpose robots dramatically improve the quality of life for all people—supporting us at home, at work, in factories, on farms, and beyond. To accomplish this, we are building a team of exceptional professionals who combine world-class technical skills with creative vision, grounded in humility and collaboration.